After about 2 years or 30000 miles of service the Blue Streak (Standard) MAF sensor in my 2010 Escape died.
I’d driven about 20 miles, then spent about half an hour sitting in a parking lot with the key on but engine off. I had it like this so I can have the air blowing on me from the blower motor.
Anyway, I started up the car and it cranked for an unusually long time then immediately the wrench light came on. It ran horribly, hesitating, RPM fluctuating, down on power… I limped it a few blocks to work where I observed a pending MAF circuit code and a 0.00 MAF reading with the engine running, obviously impossible.
Replacing the MAF sensor resolved the issue.
Now my question is… why did this sensor last such a short period of time? Does having the key on with the engine off cause it to overheat? I understand that MAF sensors work using heat, and I wonder if with no airflow over it, it kills it? I do have the key on with engine off quite often, sometimes for an hour…
Or is it just a lousy part/random failure?
Also how much dust is normal on the leading side/edge of the plastic housing of the MAF? There was a noticeable amount which surprised me. I expected it to be perfectly clean? The air filter seems to be seated fine.
And before you ask, the original OEM MAF had to be replaced because I was not careful and a dead bug fell into the housing while I was changing the air filter about 2 years ago and then next time I drove it got sucked into the MAF shorting it and killing it. But that one lasted about 5 years/100k. That’s why I’m surprised this one died so soon?
I’d driven about 20 miles, then spent about half an hour sitting in a parking lot with the key on but engine off. I had it like this so I can have the air blowing on me from the blower motor.
Anyway, I started up the car and it cranked for an unusually long time then immediately the wrench light came on. It ran horribly, hesitating, RPM fluctuating, down on power… I limped it a few blocks to work where I observed a pending MAF circuit code and a 0.00 MAF reading with the engine running, obviously impossible.
Replacing the MAF sensor resolved the issue.
Now my question is… why did this sensor last such a short period of time? Does having the key on with the engine off cause it to overheat? I understand that MAF sensors work using heat, and I wonder if with no airflow over it, it kills it? I do have the key on with engine off quite often, sometimes for an hour…
Or is it just a lousy part/random failure?
Also how much dust is normal on the leading side/edge of the plastic housing of the MAF? There was a noticeable amount which surprised me. I expected it to be perfectly clean? The air filter seems to be seated fine.
And before you ask, the original OEM MAF had to be replaced because I was not careful and a dead bug fell into the housing while I was changing the air filter about 2 years ago and then next time I drove it got sucked into the MAF shorting it and killing it. But that one lasted about 5 years/100k. That’s why I’m surprised this one died so soon?